Destiny: The Story Begins
by Aqua Brightwind
Summary: The Golden Age has lasted 100 years. Life is great for Tiana and her family. The Traveler wanders Earth, Tiana is able to work with the Warmind, Rasputin, and school is going well, even if it is boring. What could possibly go wrong with life?
1. Chapter 1

I woke with the sun. My window faced east so I caught the first morning rays. I sat up, my chin length hair creating a nimbus around my head from sleep. I combed through it with my fingers as I got out of bed and went to the bathroom. After a quick shower, I dressed and combed my hair. Once I was ready, I went downstairs for breakfast. I could already smell the bacon, eggs, and waffles mom was making.

I sat at the table across from Pete, my older brother. Dad was reading the news at the head of the table, a cup of coffee seemingly forgotten in front of him. Pete also had a cup of coffee which he cupped in his hands, blowing on it and sipping occasionally. I crinkled my nose a little at the smell. Mom brought a cup to me, but mine had hot chocolate in it.

"Morning sunshine." Mom planted a quick kiss on my cheek before returning to making breakfast.

I wrapped my hands around the warm mug. "Morning mom!"

Dad looked up from his reading. "Tiana, what are your plans for tomorrow?" I thought for a moment. Today was Friday. I had school today, but not tomorrow.

"As of right now, I have no plans. Why?"

Dad smiled slightly. "Well, Rasputin keeps asking when you will visit again. It would seem he misses you." Dad had a Russian accent from working with Rasputin. Rasputin was a Warmind. He was an AI whose primary function was the monitoring and protection of earth. There was one for every planet that supported human life, but Rasputin was Earth's. Since Rasputin was Russian by origin, the primary language he used was Russian so dad had needed to learn it in order to work with the Warmind properly. Constant use of the language had given him an accent, especially when he talked about Rasputin.

I smiled. "I would love to come to work with you! Can I mom?" I turned slightly in my chair to look at mom. I had a habit of asking her before I did anything.

"If it is alright with your father, you don't have to ask me silly." There was a laugh hidden in her undertone. I bounced excitedly in my chair as I turned back to my hot chocolate. Mom brought breakfast over shortly after that and we all dug in. Mom made great waffles and the bacon and eggs were always good.

Pete and I left for school not long after breakfast and walked together down the dirt path toward the school. It was a long walk and occasionally dad would let Pete take the Sparrow, but lately Rasputin had been acting oddly. It could have been a glitch, but Dad had been going in to work early each day to try and figure it out. As we walked, dad shot past on the Sparrow. Pete and I waved, but dad either didn't see or was too distracted to wave back.

I lowered my hand, thinking out loud. "I wonder if Rasputin is ok? He doesn't often ask to have others brought to him."

Pete tried to cheer me up. "Don't worry about it too much. Dad will take care of him." I wasn't really reassured, but I appreciated the effort.

We walked in silence for a time before Pete abruptly spoke up. "You know what? I think I know why Rasputin really wants to see you. He has a better memory than we all do apparently."

I looked at my brother curiously. "What? Why?"

Pete grinned. "Even you forgot! Tiana, tomorrow is your birthday."

I stared at him in shock. I'm sure my face looked totally stupid. I _had_ forgotten. Tomorrow was my seventeenth birthday. I did a quick count on my hand to make sure. Yep, tomorrow was the fourth of May. My birthday. "Now I feel silly." I let my hand drop.

Pete and I laughed and joked together, making plans for the evening as we walked. We arrived at school and split up for our classes. I was only half an hour into class when I started to get bored. Now, I love school. I love being around my friends, but I didn't have too many of those. I tended to keep to myself except with family. I started doodling in the margins of my notes in science. I already knew all of the material the teacher was talking about. Occasionally I would write down a word or two, but it was usually not something the teacher had said. Instead, her words would remind me of something Rasputin had once told me on the subject.

The day seemed to drag on. Pete had promised he would take me shooting with his sniper rifle as an early birthday present. I loved Pete's rifle. It had low kickback and a smooth trigger. I had a love of guns and sometimes my tendency to start talking about weapons or Rasputin would make my peers come up with lame excuses and leave. I sighed slightly to myself as I made my way through the halls toward the cafeteria. The food was decent, but not as good as mom's cooking.

About halfway through lunch, the cafeteria started to shake. I felt it through my bones and the table shifted sideways slightly as it rattled. I instinctively grabbed the table, prepared to dive under it should the roof start to come down. The shaking gradually slowed to a stop though, and I relaxed again. I was probably the only one though. The rest of the cafeteria erupted as students and teachers all began to talk at once. I stood, dumped my tray, and left the chaos.

Earthquakes were uncommon in this part of the world, but occasionally a rumble would affect the world as the Traveler made a slight modification. I looked up. The Traveler was visible on the horizon, a big white sphere floating above the planet. Apparently its wanderings had brought it close. It tended to make minor changes to the landscape here and there which were the cause of the random shakes. All the same, you would think that humanity would be used to it by now. Another brief shake rocked my footing, but I kept my balance and the shaking went as fast as it came.

The school was buzzing about the two shakes for the rest of the day, but I watched the clock anxiously. Pete was going to take me straight home so we could get his rifle and go shooting. I hoped he would also let me shoot his Scout rifle, but either way I was just happy to shoot a gun. The bell finally rang and I was the first one out the door. Pete was waiting for me by the gate and I ran up to him. He had a big grin on his face that told me he was as excited to go shooting as I was.

"Ready?"

I nodded, practically bouncing in my desire to go. We raced home, running across the terrain and barely noting our surroundings except where we placed our feet. Pete beat me, but only because his legs were longer than mine. We both changed to more casual clothing and met downstairs, Pete with his sniper and his Scout rifles, and I had my hand cannon. I honestly didn't like the hand cannon all that much, but it was the only weapon dad would let me have until I was older. I resented that slightly, but Pete helped make up for a bit of it by letting me use his guns.

Mom shouted after us as we darted out the door. "You two be careful and make sure you are home in time for dinner!" Pete and I called an acknowledgement as we left, making our way into the woods and up a hill, away from town. We arrived at the top of the hill where the trees thinned a bit and we had a perfect view of the valley on the other side of the hill. Another hill a good 100 yards ahead of us sported targets. There were others dotted through the trees at different intervals.

Pete handed me the sniper rifle. I took it and quickly checked the sights and flipped off the solar setting. I didn't need to burn away the targets. I also made sure the safety was on.

Pete hefted the Scout rifle. "You get the long targets. I'll go for the closer ones."

I nodded. We did this often so the drill was familiar to me, but we always went over it for safety reasons. We both readied ourselves, then began firing. The sound of the shots rang in the valley and a flock of birds scattered to the sky. I several of the targets and then froze as something in the scope caught my eye. I scanned the trees around my last target. Pete noticed my lapse and stopped firing as well. The valley got really quiet, but that could easily be because everything was gone due to loud gunfire.

"They trees are dying." My voice was barely a whisper as I finally realized what had bothered me. It was spring and the leaves were changing to fall colors. The bark was also peeling off of the trees. Many of those trees were too young to be peeling bark. I looked up from the scope as Pete tapped the barrel of the gun, indicating he wanted to see. His Scout rifle's scope wasn't as powerful as the sniper's.

I handed over the gun and Pete peered through the scope at the trees. I got up and walked over to a nearby oak, putting my hand on the rough bark. The bark crumbled under my touch. Looking up, I could see the same discoloration of the leaves. One fell as I watched and I caught it. The leaf had black spots, as if it were already decaying. Pete was saying something and I missed it.

I looked over at him. "What?"

Pete glanced at me and lowered the butt of the rifle to the ground, holding it by the barrel and leaning on it slightly. "We should probably tell someone. These trees shouldn't be dying yet, especially with the Traveler so close." I nodded and looked at the leaf in my hand. I could feel it drying out as I held it. Whatever was causing this was accelerating the death of the tree. Pete and I started back for home, noting how other plants also showed signs of rapid decay. There was also little to no wildlife roaming the woods.

Mom looked up in surprise as we entered. "You two are back early. Is everything alright?" I gave a noncommittal sound as my answer and Pete used his guns as an excuse to go upstairs without answering. I sat at the table, twirling the now dead and dried leaf with two fingers. One of the edges cracked slightly and I quickly put it down.

Mom came over to see what I was doing. "Where did you find that? I thought all the fall leaves were gone by now?"

She moved to pick it up, but I stopped her. "It fell off an oak out by our range. Mom, something is wrong with the trees."

Mom looked a little shocked by the news, but quickly composed herself. "Your father should hear about this. He is due home any minute. You're sure that something is wrong with the trees?"

Pete answered as he came down the stairs, saving me from needing to answer. "All the oaks by our range are young trees, yet their bark is peeling as if they were hundreds of years old and dying. That leaf was moist, like a normal fall leaf, when it fell. Now look at it."

Mom's face told us that she didn't like what she saw. She went back to cooking dinner and Pete and I sat at the table in worried silence. As soon as I heard dad's Sparrow pull up, I shot to my feet. As I did, the leaf crumbled to powder at the wind of my movement. I stared at it in shock. It had only been an hour since that leaf fell. It shouldn't be dry enough to crumble like that at my little movement. The door opened and dad stepped in.

He immediately noticed the tension in the room and stopped, seeing my face. "Tiana, what is the matter?" I shook my head. It made no sense. Pete stepped in and described what had happened. Dad slowly sat after the explanation was over.

He looked at the pile of crumbled leaf. "I saw it on the way home, but I didn't really see the problem until now. What is going on?" His last statement had seemed more to himself than to any of us.

Mom interrupted us. "Well, dinner is ready. Let's eat and then worry about it."

She brought dinner to the table, swept away the dead leaf dust, and sat down with us. I ate slowly, the gears spinning as I tried to reason out why the trees were dying. A disease? Possibly, but not one I had ever seen. Some kind of poison? I doubted that as soon as I thought it. If it was poison it would affect the people and animals as well. There were still animals in the area, if not very many, and the people were just fine. The more I thought about it, it could only really be a disease, unless something totally foreign had done it.


	2. Chapter 2

"Hello? Earth to Tiana."

I started slightly, realizing that there had been a conversation going on and I was spacing out. "Sorry."

Pete smiled slightly. "It's alright. You have apparently been thinking hard."

I nodded. "I have been thinking about the trees. What would cause them to die like that?" It got quiet again as no one had an answer.

Dad spoke up. "I think that we should go see Rasputin tonight instead of tomorrow."

I whipped my head in his direction, fear catching in my throat for some unknown reason. "Why? Is he ok?"

Dad raised his hands to calm me. "He was fine when I left him, if a bit hysterical. He keeps telling us that something is coming, but we can't find out what. Since you seem to be so good with him, I hoped you would come to his bunker with me. Actually, I would feel better if we all went. Rasputin has been babbling about getting to safety and I am prone to listen to him, no matter his state of mind," Dad said. Rasputin didn't sound fine to me, but I didn't argue with him. I wanted to see the Warmind for myself.

We all packed an overnight bag at dad's insistence and on an impulse I grabbed my hand cannon, some spare clips, and my hunting cloak on my way out of my room, my bag slung over one shoulder. We all met in the kitchen again and went out to the Sparrows. There were actually two Sparrows our family used. One was dad's that he used all the time. It was an ordinary Sparrow with no unique features. The other one was a really nice Sparrow. It had a booster and went faster than the other one ever would even at normal speed. It was also jet black. Dad climbed on this one while Pete took a position on the other. Mom got on behind Pete since she hated the nicer bike. She had tried talking dad into selling the faster Sparrow, but dad wasn't willing to do that. I eagerly climbed on behind dad.

Riding double on a Sparrow was difficult and somewhat dangerous. Ok, it was really dangerous. The only thing keeping me on the Sparrow was my grip on dad's shoulders and my feet planted awkwardly behind his on the pedals. I didn't really care though. I loved the thrill of riding passenger on a Sparrow.

"Hold on tight."

I obediently tightened my grip on dad's shoulders, and the Sparrow started forward, slowly at first but quickly picking up speed. I wanted dad to hit the boost, but we needed to stay with the others. All the same, dad had to keep slowing down or circling back to stay with the slower Sparrow. It didn't take too long to reach Rasputin's bunker. The bunker entrance was actually covered by an old ship that had been beached there a few years back. Dad had told me that rather than move it, they decided to disguise the entrance to the Warmind's bunker with it. We parked the Sparrows near others by the beached freighter and entered. Dad led us down a flight of stairs to the lower room. The hull if the ship had been stripped and walls knocked out to make it easier to access the bunker. The diamond shaped entrance was sealed.

Dad paused before the door, speaking in Russian. "Rasputin, it's John. I brought Tiana, Pete, and Lily with me." The doors opened. Dad walked in and I followed closely. My Russian wasn't as good as dad's, but after working with Rasputin for long enough, I had picked up most of the language. Rasputin was mumbling something over the speakers. Mom and Pete, never really comfortable with the Warmind, hesitated before entering.

Dad paused just inside the entrance. "You don't have to come all the way to the control room, just far enough that you are inside. The bunker is a big place, you can pick any spot to spend the night."

"I'd rather spend the night at home," mom mumbled. Only Pete and I heard her though. Still, she stepped into the bunker and Pete followed. The doors closed behind us and we went farther into the bunker. Mom and Pete quickly chose a spot near the entrance and sat, looking like they weren't going to move unless it was out or they were forced. I tossed Pete my bag and followed dad farther into the bunker. It didn't take long to reach the central control room and when we entered, the place was bustling. There were men and women everywhere, taking notes, monitoring screens, working switches. I saw a lot of red screens where usually they were blue. Everyone was speaking Russian.

"John, you're back. I thought you were going home for the night?" Dad responded while I finished translating the less familiar words in my head.

A familiar, somewhat mechanical voice reached my ears. "Tiana, come speak to me please." I automatically turned and went to a side console that I almost always used. This console was flashing between red and blue until I touched it. I don't know how Rasputin can tell who is at which console, but he is never wrong. I put on the earpiece that was resting there. The earpiece was a gift from Rasputin, but dad had asked me to not wear it outside the bunker. It allowed me to speak privately with the Warmind.

My Russian was crude, but I spoke anyway. "What is the matter my friend?" Rasputin began rattling off different errors and warnings too fast for me to translate. "Rasputin, you need to calm down. I can't understand you."

Rasputin paused and I swear I heard the AI take a deep breath. "The darkness comes. It is here for the Traveler. No one else will listen to me. It has already touched this place. We must prepare." Rasputin's voice was deliberately slow.

The thought of the trees popped into my head. "Rasputin, do you know what the darkness is or what it can do?"

Rasputin said something that I couldn't even begin to translate. He stopped as soon as he realized I wasn't understanding. "You ask. I will answer." I nodded. We did this a lot since I was still learning Russian.

I put my back to the wall and slid down it to sit on the floor. "The darkness, is it physical?"

"It touches and kills. It thrives in the dark, dampens the Traveler's light." I looked around for something to write with and a man approached with a pen and paper on a clipboard, holding them out to me. I nodded my thanks to him and took the items.

I jotted down what Rasputin had said. "Does it kill?"

"It hastens death, but does not cause it." I started to write the whole conversation, unconsciously writing it in Russian. Dad would have to translate it with me later. I could only read and write Russian fluently while speaking with Rasputin. I'm not sure why.

"Does it leave a mark?"

"Only death and darkness and evil."

"Where does it come from?"

"It follows the Traveler. I do not know where."

"Can it hurt us?"

"It will corrupt us and make us hurt each other. Hide, run, fight." Rasputin began muttering again and I knew that our little session was over for the moment. I looked at the recorded conversation and sighed. I wished again that I could read Russian better.

Dad saw my struggle and came over to sit beside me. "How did it go?" I shrugged and showed him the paper. Dad laughed and quickly translated the paper with me. He made me do most of the translation so I felt a little more comfortable with it. After it was translated, we studied it together. All the while I could hear Rasputin talking to himself in rapid Russian in my ear.

I let my head fall back to rest on the wall. "I don't understand. I understand that this Darkness is evil and should be feared. I'm beginning to think that is what is causing the trees to die, but why is Rasputin trying so hard to get us, me, to listen to him?" Before dad could answer, an alarm went off and we scrambled to our feet. I put a hand to my earpiece. "Rasputin, what are you doing?"

The monitor showed the bunker going into lockdown. At the same time, Rasputin launched a Warsat. It headed toward the Traveler to the southeast and around the turn of the planet. "Watch. See." The reply was broadcast over all the speakers in the bunker. Out of the corner of my eye I saw mom and Pete enter the room.

Then the main screen came to life, showing us the camera footage from the Warsat. It had landed near the Traveler. We could all see the great sphere that protected us high above the Warsat, dominating the sky. But there was something else there. It was difficult to describe. The best way to describe it was a tangible cloud of shadow. It swallowed the light even though it was broad daylight there. The shadow, which I began to realize was the Darkness that Rasputin had spoken of, grew bigger as it approached the Traveler. It seemed to feed off of the Traveler's light. It seemed impossible, but I swear that is what it looked like.

The Traveler rose slightly, as if to leave the planet. Then it sank down, lower and lower, until it was only a few miles above the surface of the planet according to the Warsat readings. There it stopped, hovering below the Darkness. The Darkness was now massive, seemingly big enough to swallow the Traveler. It reached for the Traveler and touched it.

A burst of blinding light cut through the image. Everyone looked away from the screen, but I was transfixed by the image. I shaded my eyes, but as soon as the light faded I stared intently again. The Traveler was crumbling. Crumbling like the leaf I had held earlier that day. Chunks of it fell, landing with great crashes before their brilliant white color faded and it became ordinary metal. I watched, horrified, as more and more fell away.

Just as I feared it would all crumble away, the decay stopped. Nearly a quarter was missing from the bottom of the Traveler, but it had ceased to fall apart. The glow returned and it was only then that I realized the Darkness was gone. Something that looked like snow began to fall from the belly of the Traveler. At first I thought the decay had started again, but then the lights started moving with purpose, spreading out and soaring off in different directions. One approached the Warsat and we all got a good look at it.

It was mechanical and moved various parts of its self individually and around a central, mechanical eye. We only saw it for a minute though before it flew out of sight. The screen suddenly went blank and then Russian letters and words spilled onto the screen. Dad and the other workers erupted like a kicked anthill, scrambling for monitors and notes.

Rasputin screamed in my ear and I clapped my hands over my ears, forgetting that I was still wearing the earpiece. "Nooooooo!" It was a wrenching, sorrowful cry. I had never heard such a human sound come from an AI, let alone Rasputin. I sank to my knees at the sound, holding my head. Someone tried to hold me, to help me up, but I couldn't move, not with that sound in my ear.

The moment the sound died away, I shot to my feet and ran for the main controls. I shoved aside the man standing there and saw what I had feared, red displays. I started to pull up different screens, but I couldn't find anything to tell me what was wrong. My earpiece crackled again, and I froze, ready for the scream, but it never came.

Instead, there was a pleading whisper. "Tiana."

I could hear sorrow in his voice. Someone tried to pull me away from the controls, but I spun on the man, drawing my hand cannon on him. I barely registered this as I concentrated on Rasputin. "I am here." Dimly, I was aware of panic erupting around me at my drawn gun and dad rushing over to us. I turned the gun to point at dad. He couldn't stop me, not now. This was too important. He skidded to a halt.

Rasputin whispered in my ear. "They are gone. My brothers and sisters, lost. The Darkness has taken them." My eyes glazed as Rasputin tried to input the information directly into my mind. My knees buckled and I collapsed, images of destruction flickering in and out of my vision.

I woke up with a monstrous headache. I sat up slowly, holding my head. I was still in the bunker and my cloak was rolled up under my head as a pillow. Mom and Pete were there, looking anxiously at something to my right. Abruptly they realized I was awake and hurried over to me.

Mom knelt beside me, helping me sit up. "Tiana, thank goodness you are all right. How do you feel?"

I grimaced. "My head hurts, but other than that I'm alright. What happened?" I felt for my earpiece. It was still there and I could still hear Rasputin muttering in the background. There were also sounds of barely concealed panic and confusion coming from the control room.

Pete answered. "You kinda went berserk in there. You drew your gun on one of the workers and even turned it on dad. All the while you were speaking in perfect Russian. I didn't think you knew that much Russian."

I paled slightly. I remembered something like that, but it was hazy. "I didn't shoot anyone, did I?"

Pete shook his head. "No, as soon as they stopped trying to get you away from the controls you seemed to forget they were there. What happened?"

I shook my head. "It was Rasputin. He was panicking and I got caught up in it I guess. Did they find out what was wrong with him?"

Pete shrugged. "As soon as you collapsed, dad had you brought out here with us. They left that earpiece on you as well, since you tried to hit anyone that tried to take it off you, even unconscious. We haven't heard anything since."

I winced at that. I wasn't normally violent unless I was given a reason. Apparently, protecting Rasputin was enough to make me violent. "Rasputin?"

Rasputin's mutterings stopped abruptly. "Tiana, I'm sorry."

I closed my eyes for a moment, the Russian coming to me effortlessly. "It is alright. Rasputin, can you show me, calmly, what happened to your brothers and sisters? I can't help you if I don't know." I tried to get to my feet, but my knees were still weak. Pete helped me up and mom went to my other side. They supported me as I walked into the control room. All activity stopped at our entrance. Even the screens stopped flashing between red and blue.

Dad hurried over to us. My hand cannon was thrust through his belt. I didn't blame him for taking it. "Tiana, are you alright?"

I nodded. "Sorry about what happened. I'm not sure what came over me."

Dad shook his head. "Rasputin has a way of getting into your head, even without an implant like you and I have. All the Warminds can."

That didn't make me feel much better, but I nodded anyway. Someone pulled over a chair and I sat gratefully. "Have you been able to find out what happened to Rasputin?"

Dad shook his head. "He won't speak to anyone but you. All we get is confusing error code. You are the only one who has been able to make sense of his ramblings since…" He trailed off. Apparently, no one was sure what to think of the Traveler crumbling.

I protested. "He doesn't make any sense to me either though."

Dad shook his head. "You were able to understand him immediately after the Traveler… anyway, none of us have been able to understand anything he has said, except you."

I was trembling now. "I don't understand what he meant though. It was something about his siblings. The Darkness got them and they are lost. He tried to show me and that was when I collapsed."

Dad nodded slowly. "He has tried that with many of us before. I think that the round-about method bothers him and so he tries to bypass it. One died in the attempt, and another was never the same. Actually, you have come out of the experience better than anyone so far, thank the Traveler."

Mom bristled. "You have been allowing her to interact with this thing when you knew it could harm her?"

Dad scowled. "I couldn't really stop her. Besides, I took precautions. I never let her have access to the main computer until today, and she wasn't allowed to take the earpiece from the bunker either. Those two things are what give Rasputin the ability to link with her that way. How was I supposed to know they had connected so well already?"

I tried to stand and they both stopped glaring at each other to either stop me or help me. I snapped at them, irritated. "It isn't dad's fault. I didn't know either. I won't even go so far as to blame Rasputin. He panicked and that was when he tried to link with me." They both calmed down and Rasputin's sorrowful whisperings stopped briefly. I looked at dad. "I need to talk to him, but I need the main console to do it. Something has happened and I need to know what. If what you said is true, then I am the only one who can find out what is going on."

Dad nodded slowly. "He launched several Warsats, but we can't get access to the system to see where he sent them or what information he has gathered with them." He sighed. "Alright, but let me take you there. Don't try to get up." he said. I nodded and he picked me up out of the chair like I was 6 again. I protested, but not very hard. I was worn out. Pete picked up the chair and followed us to the main console where they settled me again. Everyone was watching us now.

I focused on Rasputin. "Rasputin?"

The console turned blue, indicating his presence. "Tiana."

I was relieved to hear his old confidence again. "Rasputin, will you show us what is happening? Where did you send the Warsats?"

Without a word, the main screens lit up, each one showing a different planetary surface. I recognized each of the colonized planets, namely Mercury, Venus, Titan, the moon, and Mars. With a shock, I could make out bunker entrances like Rasputin's in each image. Rasputin had launched Warsats to each Warmind bunker. "They are lost. See it?"

The images all zoomed and I could see the inky Darkness filling each bunker. Men and women stumbled out of each bunker, looking back in terror before running off in aimless directions. I reached out helplessly as I saw some of them run off cliffs or into lava pools.

There was a small gasp from one of the workers. "What is happening?"

Rasputin's sorrowful voice filled the bunker. "Mindless terror. The Darkness has touched them and they do not have the protection of the Traveler's light. They are lost." As we watched, explosions rocked the bunker on Venus and ripples appeared in the landscape under the Ishtar Sink, scarring the land and the bunker buckled and then collapsed into the lava pools below. People ran in every direction in an effort to escape.

The other planets fared little better. Their Warminds didn't self destruct, but they did wreak havoc on the planets. Defense units turned on those they should have protected, and bombs went off across the planets. The colonies were collapsing right before our eyes. The Golden Age had died along with the Traveler.

A sudden fear struck me. "Rasputin, why didn't you become lost?"

"There is Light here. The Darkness is being pushed back."

I frowned in confusion. "By what? What is pushing it back?"

Rasputin's whispered answer came in my earpiece only. "By you." He withdrew. The Warsats pulled back or were destroyed and the footage vanished. Shocked silence filled the bunker. No one moved or spoke for a long time.

Finally one man spoke up. "Are we safe?" His voice was shaky and uncertain. I couldn't blame him after what had happened. A watch somewhere beeped. Everyone looked at their watches. They knew it was getting late, but not how late. I stared at mine. 12:00 shined at me in the half dark.

It was going to be the worst birthday ever.


	3. Chapter 3

We all slept fitfully that night. My dreams were filled with explosions and I felt like I was running from the Darkness, but my feet wouldn't move. Rasputin's bunker loomed ahead of me and I screamed as the doors closed and denied me access.

I woke with a start, panting and shaking from the nightmare. Rasputin was playing music in the background. It was a soft Russian lullaby, but it had chords in it that might strike up a nightmare in a restless sleeper. My earpiece had fallen out overnight and I put it back in my ear. Rasputin was quiet, only the song coming over the speaker. Maybe he was also sleeping? I rose and carefully stepped away from where I had been sleeping by mom. Dad was on mom's other side and Pete beyond him.

Workers were scattered around the control room, sleeping haphazardly and in some odd positions. Many had fallen asleep working and we're slumped over or near consoles. I went over to the main one and checked on Rasputin. He was fine, but a few of his outer defenses were malfunctioning. Perhaps it was the Darkness trying to get in? No matter what Rasputin said, I didn't believe that I was holding anything back very far, if at all.

"Tiana? Are you alright?" I turned to see that Pete was awake and was walking up to me, still rubbing his eyes. He was still sleep wrinkled.

"I'm alright, I just couldn't sleep is all. How about you?" We were both whispering. Everyone was tired and needed all the sleep they could get.

Pete yawned. "I couldn't sleep either. I want to, but I keep having nightmares." I nodded. I was still tired as well. According to my watch, it was only 6:20 so we had gotten maybe 5 or 6 hours of sleep. Rasputin stirred and began murmuring in my ear, but it was gibberish. I couldn't understand him. The music changed slightly, becoming a bit more energetic, but it was still soft. With a shock, I realized it was a Russian birthday song. I blinked at Pete in surprise.

Pete suddenly got a worried look. "What? Are you alright?"

I shook my head to clear it. "I'm alright. I just realized that Rasputin is telling me happy birthday. His is really quiet though. I'm worried about him."

Pete put a hand on my shoulder. "He will be alright. I'm just glad he hasn't gone and killed us all yet."

I instantly got offended. "Rasputin would never do that!"

Pete nodded. "I know, but what if this Darkness stuff gets to him? You saw what the other Warminds did to the colonies" I nodded miserably. I was worried Rasputin would lose control as well. Pete sighed. "Look at me, going and ruining your birthday. Come on, we may as well be useful." I followed Pete back over to where mom and dad were sleeping. As we approached, mom stirred slightly, being a lighter sleeper than dad.

Pete crouched beside her. "Mom, I'm going to run home real quick with Tiana. We'll take the Sparrows and be back in just a few minutes." Mom nodded sleepily and mumbled something. I think she said "be careful" but she could have said anything. Pete straightened and I followed him toward the entrance.

When the door didn't open right away, I lifted a hand to my earpiece even though I didn't really have to. "Rasputin, Pete and I need to leave. Will you open the door?"

The music abruptly changed and became almost frantic. I had never before realized how expressive Russian music was. "Please don't go! I need you!"

I winced slightly at Rasputin's panicked cry. "I will be back. I swear I am only going home for a minute and I will be back." Rasputin muttered for a minute and then the music calmed and changed again. The doors opened. I led the way out of the bunker. Pete and I climbed out of the ship concealing Rasputin and stepped out into the predawn. We stared as we looked at the ravine before us.

The trees were all dead. A few smaller species clung to life, but the great oaks had all fallen or were rotting where they stood. The wild grass and shrubs still lived, but it looked like fall rather than spring. Pete touched my arm and I shook myself out of my shock. We went over to the Sparrows and Pete claimed on the black one so I reluctantly took the grey one. We made our way home as fast as my Sparrow would go. It still took us a good five minutes. When we arrived at home, Pete ran upstairs and I went to the kitchen.

I packed everything I thought mom could use in the bunker. It was mostly dried or canned stuff, but we needed more food and Rasputin didn't have a kitchen in the bunker. I also stuffed a bunch of dishes in on top of the food. Slinging the full pack over the back of a chair so that it was ready, I went up the stairs two at a time. Pete was in his room and I went to mine. I quickly changed and stuffed a few more changes into my backpack. I tossed my extra cloak in the bag as well and on top of it, I put all my spare hand cannon ammo in there. Even though dad had my gun, I intended to get it back.

Once I was in the hall again, Pete's door was open, but I could hear him rummaging around in mom and dad's room. I went into the master bedroom and found Pete. He had all his guns slung over his shoulders and his backpack was on the bed, stuffed full. He had also taken time to change. He was filling a bag with some of dad's things. I went to the closet and pulled out mom's duffle bag and began to pull out clothes for her and stuffing them in the bag. I also grabbed a few of her personal affects and stuck them in there.

Somehow, I finished before Pete did, so I went into the bathroom. We already had most of our stuff from there, but I practically packed the whole bathroom anyway. I didn't know how long we would be before we got back. In my ear, Rasputin played music. It sounded worried, but not panicky. I found it odd that Rasputin was communicating like this rather than speaking, but I couldn't do anything about it. I left the bathroom just as Pete was coming out of the master bedroom.

"Ready?" He asked. I nodded and slung the two bags over my left shoulder. Pete had his hands full with both his guns and dad's, as well as their bags. I still had the one from the kitchen, but even then I still wouldn't be as heavily burdened as Pete. To my surprise, Pete unslung his two spare weapons and handed them to me. He kept his good, modified guns as well as dad's, but I stared at his hand, shocked by the action, especially after what had happened yesterday.

He seemed to read my expression. "You aren't armed and I can't use any of these if I am carrying them all. Besides, it is your birthday. Consider it my present to you."

I took the guns and hugged them. Tears welled up in my eyes as the reality of the gift sank in. "Thank you Pete."

Pete smiled and tossed a few specialty rounds at me. I caught them awkwardly. "I know you have primary ammo, but those specialty rounds should last you until you find some of your own." I nodded and stuffed the rounds in my backpack along with my primary ammo. We started down the stairs, Pete leading since I had to secure the guns. On the way out the front door, I snagged the bag off the couch and did one last look through. There were so many things I wanted to take, but we had all the essentials so I turned and left. I hoped we would be back soon.

We mounted the Sparrows and took off toward Rasputin's bunker. As we traveled, we heard some muted thumps high above and looked up to see several ships coming into orbit and making their way toward the last place I had seen the Traveler on the horizon. I got so distracted by the spectacle that I nearly hit a fallen tree. Pete hollered at me and I swerved to avoid crashing. The swerve nearly flipped the Sparrow, but I managed to keep my seat and we continued.

As we got close to the bunker, Rasputin's music changed to a sweet melody again and I smiled slightly. We parked the Sparrows and went down toward the bunker. As we approached, the doors opened on their own and we went in.

Inside, the place was bustling again. Mom saw us and hurried over. "You're back! Thank the Traveler. I wasn't sure I actually heard what you said to me until I woke up and you two were gone. Your dad and I have been worried sick!"

I smiled at her. "We just wanted to get some things from the house. We're fine." I wanted to hug her, but my hands were full. Mom finally noticed and with a start, she took her duffle bag from me. I also gave her the bag with the bathroom stuff in it and the kitchen bag. It was then that she saw the guns slung over my shoulder. She shot a glance at Pete who was unloading his bags in a corner.

She looked back at me. "Why did he give you those? Are you carrying them for him?"

I shook my head. "No, they are his birthday present to me." Mom seemed worried and I was flustered at first, but then dad came over and seeing my hand cannon still thrust through his belt reminded me why mom was so concerned. She was afraid I would turn my gun on them again. "Mom, I'm alright, honest."

Dad stepped up beside mom and seemed to pick up on what was going on. "Are you sure? You are still wearing that headpiece despite what happened yesterday."

I lifted a hand to the headpiece almost unconsciously. Rasputin was muttering again. "Dad, I'm fine. I'm in control."

Pete stepped up beside me. "I trust her. She has a good head on her shoulders and I believe that despite what she did yesterday there is no way she would have pulled the trigger. She's too squishy for that." Pete pinched my cheek. I silently thanked Pete for his confidence in me as I slapped away his hand in irritation.

Dad sighed. "Alright, but please don't do anything stupid. We still don't know what is going on and Rasputin is acting oddly. He barely says two cognitive words to anyone. Just this music."

I nodded. "I noticed that too." I didn't tell him that I was worried the Darkness was causing Rasputin's withdrawal. They were already worried enough.

Pete changed the topic. "Dad, on our way back, we saw some transport ships entering orbit and heading south toward the Traveler. Do you think the Traveler is still alive?"

Dad frowned. "I don't know. After what we saw, I don't think there is really any way of knowing for sure."

A mechanical voice filled the bunker. "The Traveler still lives, although it is now asleep and vulnerable as it repairs itself." We all looked around for the unfamiliar voice, many reaching for weapons, including myself. A small blue light came from the entrance and approached from that direction. Every living thing in the bunker tensed, unsure of what to do. I positioned myself between the light and my parents. Really, it was probably a pointless move. Both of them were bigger than I was, but it felt right. Pete stood next to me. The light resolved into an oddly familiar device. It had parts that revolved in a pattern around a central eye.

Abruptly, I knew where I had seen this thing, or one like it, before. "You came from the Traveler, didn't you?"

The thing bobbed in what I assumed was a nod. "I am a Ghost. The Traveler created me and many others as a final defense against the Darkness. We were charged with finding and assisting individuals who have been touched by the Traveler's light." Despite being mechanical, there was a masculine tone to the Ghost's voice.

Pete stepped forward a half a step. "How do you know if someone has been touched by the Traveler's light? What does that even mean?" The Ghost turned toward him and released a scanning beam.

"Hmm. No, not you. You have light, but well… not what I am looking for. I will know when I find them."

"Ok…but what does it mean to have light?"

The Ghost thing made a musing sound. "How do I explain this? It is different for each individual. Sometimes it is how much you want the light. For another it may be a need to help others. And for someone else it could be inexplicable. It really depends on the Guardian and the Ghost."

It all sounded cool, but I was too tired to pay attention and wandered over to my corner console. Rasputin was humming, but he didn't access the terminal. I dropped my bag on the floor, swung my guns around to my chest, and slid down the wall to the floor.


End file.
